Memories of Iceland

Nothing prepares you for Iceland. It steals your heart within a few hours.

A soothing palette of grey, silver, black, blue, green. Carpets of moss covering lava fields, made of up to 50 micro herbs and flowers, which grow ever so slowly it often too a hundred years to make it that wonderfully thick. Dramatic beaches of black sand, brushed by the waves’ white foam. Roads slaloming up and up and finally revealing a view over breathtaking fjords. Adorable villages, irresistible houses which turf roof camouflages in the landscape. Hundreds of waterfalls. Tiny fishing villages, each with its own quaint museum.

Expect a sense of adventure at every step. Maybe it’s the immensity of the landscapes. Or the jarred volcanic rock. Or even the geothermal areas where the earth seems so alive – smoking and bubbling. Your day might very well include… a snowball fight in summer, a hike to the top of a volcano, a stroll behind the water curtain of a waterfall, an encounter with whales, seals and puffins, a walk through an ocean of blue lupins. You might even finish the day going horse riding after dinner or enjoying a naturally heated spring in a little valley, view on the mountains included. The midnight sun means the light never completely fades, as if the golden hours went on for hours. Icelandic is equally fascinating in winter – although less tourists think of it: frozen waterfalls, snow everywhere, perfect for skiing or guided walks along glaciers and of course the northern lights, not to be missed!

Mostly, I love the wonderful sense of peace there, the reconnecting with nature. My first trip was only 5 days long but I already was passionately in love. I went back for Christmas. Then again, with my children at Easter. And a few weeks in June to write a travel guide for my editor, Hachettea travel guide for my editor, Hachette. And yet, I have so much to see there still… I’m counting the days till we meet again.